The Insidious Trawling of Right Wing Anti-Science

Fox news gives us a graphic example of how well the wingnut extreme anti-science, anti-intellectual crusade is working on grassroots workers. To use a favourite term of the right, this is obviously a war on government regulations in an overly broad sense, rather than a reasonable drive to eliminate unnecessary and overblown regulations, which I’m sure most people would agree with.

Before I compare the message to the fact, here is a snippit from the screenshot I took from my Fox News iGoogle news feed. Notice the portion where the text is white on black.

Propaganda

Not satisfied to say that fishermen are upset at new regulations, Fox News makes sure we know the regulations are unbelievably harsh. The story, as presented by our favourite wingnut media site, smells a little fishy.

Interestingly, when we go to the Fox News website we get a somewhat calmer more accurate headline, but the story keeps its spicy overboard fear mongering flavour. As is expected.

Now, for your enjoyment and without using a safety net, we dive head first into the bait box of Wingutia.

BOSTON – New England fishermen facing a dire future for their industry asked Congress in a letter Tuesday for immediate help surviving deep and impending cuts to their catch limits.

The letter, signed by 173 fishermen in ports from Connecticut to Maine, came as the industry prepares for May 1 catch reductions that fishermen warn could finish off the fleet.

The letter described the situation as “simply unbelievable” following rosy promises by regulators of healthier fish stocks and economic stability if previous regulations were enacted.

According to Fox the most important cuts are the following two:

“A 77 percent cut in the catch limit for cod in the Gulf of Maine and a 61 percent decrease in the cod limit in Georges Bank, …”

Now we get to the affect Fox and their extremist friends in today’s version of right-wing media have on the people either listening to the propaganda, or been convinced by those who do listen to it. This is actually a 2-4, we get the strong aroma of anti-science with a hint of conspiracy theory. (The emphasis is mine).

The fishermen hint in the letter that federal regulators have intentionally crippled the industry, reflecting a belief common in the industry— and vigorously disputed by regulators— that the government has tried to force smaller boats from the fleet and create an easier-to-manage fishery with a few large players. Regarding the low catch allotments and lack of aid, the fishermen wrote it’s “difficult for many of us to believe that this was just a coincidence.”

To show us just how horrible these new regulations are, no realistic factual information is given in the article. But, luckily for us, all it takes are two graphs to bring everything back to reality and show why the regulations really are necessary.

Atlantic cod capture from 1950 to 2005

Cod stocks

I have to ask both Fox News and the fishermen.

Would you prefer to have the regulations placed in the chum bucket today and have the entire industry join it there in just a few years?

The Riech Wing cannot bend sciencetific fact to their will so they seek to de-legitimize it by any means possible even to the extreme of flat out denial of what even most school children learn.in some cases even trying to implement THIER version of the world of science and physics whether it be Creation Science,Intelligent Design or what appears to be Alchemy.I think the problem lies not so much in the policy of the right, but in the sheer unadulterated self imposed ignorance for religious reasons and dogma,or the shockingly low I.Q’d members of not only the Repub.s Conserv,politicians and pundits but of their voting blocks. Proven fact that Left or left leaning politicians and a large sector of thier voting block are generally smarter and have more finely tuned sense of morals and better bullshit detectors. In summary Stupid people hate science because because they are too STUPID to understand it..that is those without the common sense and humilty who don’t feel insulted because they simply cant fathom it.<not a rant just reality..open eyes help